


Even Fate Picks Favorites

by ObscureReference



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Disappearances, Established Relationship, F/F, Gender-Neutral My Unit | Kamui | Corrin, M/M, Multi, Portals, Post-Canon, Time Skips, Valm, Yearning, cameos from other characters - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:28:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28227651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObscureReference/pseuds/ObscureReference
Summary: The split second before Laslow’s arms wrapped around his neck seemed to last forever. Xander took in every detail of Laslow’s face—every smudge of dirt, his bloodied lip, the faint freckle beside his nose—as it drew near in slow motion. His heart skipped a beat. He could practically feel Laslow’s phantom weight pressed against his chest before the man ever reached him.“Las—”His arms enclosed around open air.“—low?”Xander blinked and slowly lowered his arms. He looked around. The shouts and celebrations continued around him, undeterred.“Laslow?” he said slowly, turning his head.Laslow was nowhere to be seen.
Relationships: Belka | Beruka/Camilla/Luna | Selena, Lazward | Laslow/Marx | Xander, Leon | Leo/Odin/Zero | Niles
Comments: 20
Kudos: 126





	Even Fate Picks Favorites

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kimium](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kimium/gifts).



> Merry Christmas, Kimium!! Out of all the prompts you gave me this year, I chose "Reverse dimension travel AU: Trio return after events in Fates but Nohrian Royals show up in their dimension." I'm a big sucker for magical separations/the Nohrians ending up in the Awakening world, so it was an easy choice for me. Here's hoping you enjoy the choice just as much!
> 
> If any of you other readers haven't read Kimium's work before, please do! She writes a lot of FE like me, but also Dangan Ronpa and some other fandoms! She's super cool and creative, so please check out her work right after this! 
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!

Corrin struck the final blow, and the pulsing remnants of Anankos the Silent Dragon evaporated into smog and twinkling lights. The invisible enemies bearing down on either side of the army vanished with it.

In an instant, Xander knew it was over.

“Did we do it?” Corrin asked, panting, as they lowered their sword. “Did we defeat the Silent Dragon?”

A genuine smile—a rare thing for her—broke out over Azura’s face. “…Yes. Yes! Anankos is no more!”

A cheer went up through the crowd at that, so loud that it would have left Xander’s ears ringing if he wasn’t already sure he’d sustained some hearing damage from the ear-splitting roars Anankos had let out in his death throes.

Corrin grabbed Azura and spun her around, and out of the corner of his vision, Xander could see other allies pulling their loved ones close too—Peri jumping on Keaton’s broad, wolfish back; Felicia stumbling into her sister’s open arms, tears in both their eyes. Euphoria threaded every shout and cry that hit the air.

An immense weight had been lifted off Xander’s shoulders. He breathed in, his muscles aching under his armor. Exhausted and pleased, he laid a comforting hand on his war horse’s neck as it stomped at the rubble.

“Good girl,” he breathed. His horse neighed.

It was really over.

“Milord!” shouted a familiar voice in the crowd. “Lord Xander!”

Xander turned on his saddle and saw Laslow sprinting his way through the crowd, dirt smudged across the bridge of his nose. His armor looked dented in awkward places and he needed a bath, but he looked no worse for wear than Xander felt, and for that, he was grateful.

“Laslow,” he said, relieved, and slid out of the saddle.

“Lord Xander!” Laslow shouted, closing in on him. His grin could have split his face in two. “We did it!”

“Yes. We—”

And then, apparently too caught up in the celebration to think about what he was doing, Laslow leapt at him.

Instinctively, Xander opened his arms.

The split second before Laslow’s arms wrapped around his neck seemed to last forever. Xander took in every detail of Laslow’s face—every smudge of dirt, his bloodied lip, the faint freckle beside his nose—as it drew near in slow motion. His heart skipped a beat. He could practically feel Laslow’s phantom weight pressed against his chest before the man ever reached him.

“Las—”

His arms enclosed around open air.

“—low?”

Xander blinked and slowly lowered his arms. He looked around. The shouts and celebrations continued around him, undeterred.

“Laslow?” he said slowly, turning his head.

Laslow was nowhere to be seen.

“—Yes!” Azura said. “Anankos is no more!”

The army broke out into hoots and hollers as Leo all but collapsed on top of his horse. Some yards away, he saw that Takumi’s back was turned towards him and felt grateful. He’d keep up the façade of unbothered superiority as soon as they were all together again, but he needed to catch a breather first.

“Well,” Niles said, lowering his bow. He breathed in slowly through his nose. “That was a once-in-a-lifetime event, wasn’t it?”

“Hopefully the last event of its kind for many lifetimes,” Leo said tiredly. “Dragons are not at all worth the trouble they bring.”

“Bold words for a man with dragon blood flowing through his veins.”

“Not _this_ dragon’s blood,” he pointed out.

Niles chuckled. “Fair enough. By the by, have I ever mentioned how well you wear the disheveled look, milord?”

Leo sighed and didn’t reply. Secretly, however, he suddenly felt a bit refreshed. He sorely needed a bath, his armor needing mending, his horse needed tending—but they were alive. All of them. The battle was over, his family was celebrating, and Niles still had enough energy to tease. All was right with the world, _finally_.

 _Wait_ , Leo thought.

He straightened in his saddle. “Where’s Odin? I thought he’d have a lot to say about vanquishing a dragon in its sacred land.”

Niles exchanged his smirk for a more inquisitive look. “You’re right. Where _is_ Odin?”

Rather than answer, Leo looked around. He and Niles were both men of considerable height, but Leo had the advantage from atop his horse. Even so, he failed to spot any dark mages making a spectacle of themselves in the crowd.

“Odin?” Niles called out.

Many people cheered in reply. None were Odin.

“—Yes! Anankos is no more!”

Selena screamed in her ear—the highest pitched celebratory cry Camilla had ever heard. It sent her ears ringing, but they had already been ringing from the cacophony of the dragon’s cries and the destruction of the castle, so she didn’t mind. Camilla threw her head back and laughed with her.

“Come here!” she cried, throwing her arm around Selena’s shoulders and pulling her close. “Beruka! You come here as well!”

Beruka dutifully guided her wyvern close to Camilla’s.

Camilla threw her other arm out and hauled Beruka close, so that the both of them were practically falling out of their saddles. She felt a bit bad about the way Selena had to scramble stop Camilla’s saddle to stay close and the way Beruka did not seem very comfortable at this new angle, but she couldn’t help herself.

“Oh, my darling girls. We did it!”

“Lady Camilla,” Beruka said flatly from under her arm, “please. There may still be unseen threats lurking about.”

Selena snorted. “Yeah, right! Didn’t you see Anankos _explode_? All those invisible soldier guys vanished!”

Beruka paused, considering.

“I do not feel the malice I did before,” she admitted.

“And it’s all thanks to your hard work,” Camilla said. She loudly kissed both of their foreheads. Beruka didn’t react, though Selena beamed.

“Of course!” Selena said, flexing. “We couldn’t let that scaly loser win!”

“Corrin did the brunt of the work,” Beruka said.

Camilla didn’t have to look down to know Selena was pouting. “Now, now, don’t fight. Now is the time to celebrate!”

She expected Selena to yell in celebration again. She heard nothing.

“…Where did Selena go?” Beruka said. Despite the lack of inflection, there was something unsettled in her tone.

“What?”

Camilla looked down. Beruka, lopsided in her saddle and trapped under one arm, stared at open air. Selena had somehow squirmed out from Camilla’s arm without either of their noticing.

“Selena?” Camilla said looking around. “Selena? Where are you?”

“Lady Camilla,” Beruka said. She was gripping her axe tightly.

“Selena?” Camilla tried again, beginning to feel unsettled.

But Selena was gone.

* * *

_One year later…_

Xander looked up from his paperwork as he heard a familiar knock on the office door.

“Come in,” he said.

The door opened, and Peri bounded in, a tray of tea held in front of her.

“Here you go, Lord Xander,” she said, placing the tray on the edge of the desk. Xander tried not to let the disappointment show on his face.

For some reason, he’d thought—

No. Laslow hadn’t been around to delivery his tea in a long time.

“Thank you,” he said. “How fared the tasks I set out for you this morning?”

“All done!” Peri said proudly. “I took care of those bandits and took stock of the weapons and all that other stuff.”

“Good work,” he said. “Thank you. Once you are done with the rest of your usual tasks, you may consider yourself free for the day.”

“You got it, Lord Xander!”

She left. Xander looked at the tray.

The teapot was still steaming, and Peri had left a pastry on plate next to one of the cups. She had probably baked it herself. It would doubtless be delicious.

Laslow had never taken much of an interest in baking. At least none that Xander had witnessed.

Sometimes, however, he had left wrapped sticky candies next to the cups of tea he brought. He bought a bag of the stuff every time he went to town. He’d had sweet tooth, that one.

Xander had rarely indulged in such sweet things. Laslow had often left them anyway.

Sometimes, he missed the familiar sight of such silly things.

The fact that he never found out where Laslow and his candies disappeared to that fateful day—it bothered him.

It bothered him quite a lot.

“Pull yourself together,” he muttered.

Then he felt silly for talking aloud to an empty room. A habit Laslow surely would have teased him about, despite not having a leg to stand on himself.

Feeling suddenly very tired, he took off his reading glasses and rubbed at his sore eyes.

The anniversary was tomorrow. That was probably why Laslow was occupying his thoughts so much lately.

It was the anniversary of many things. One year to the day of the defeat of Anankos, of the end of the war, of the allyship between Hoshido and Nohr…

One year to the day of the unexplained disappearance of three Nohrian retainers.

He needed to stop thinking about that. Dwelling on Laslow’s disappearance hadn’t changed anything in the last twelve months. It wouldn’t change anything now. There was still work to be done, approvals to be signed, preparations to be made.

Shaking his head, Xander picked up his glasses and got back to work.

The tea grew cold before he remembered it was there.

“Like a bolt from the blue,” Camilla murmured.

Beruka looked up from where she was sharpening her axe on the windowsill. “What was that?”

Camilla sighed and threw an arm over her eyes. Her long, lilac hair was splayed out around her on the bedsheets. “I once told Selena that she came into my service so suddenly, like a bolt from the blue. And that I worried she would disappear just as suddenly. Selena acted so cagey when I said that to her, but I had hoped my fears were unfounded. She said she would never leave without fair warning. And yet…”

Beruka simply looked at her. Even after all these years in Camilla’s service and eventually learning to accept the hugs and kisses Camilla dolled out so easily with grace, she still did not feel very much. She knew how to express herself even less.

And yet, there was undeniable a pang in her chest whenever the subject of Selena was brought up. It had taken a while for Beruka to recognize that emptiness as something other than her usual numbness. But it was there. Camilla might have felt something similar.

She did not know how to sympathize with Camilla, despite this.

“And yet she is left without a word,” Beruka said.

“I wouldn’t say it exactly like that,” Camilla sighed. Her eyes were red. Probably from crying earlier. Beruka did not mention it. They were both aware. “I don’t think she left willingly. She would have said something if she had, I’m sure of it.”

“That does not change the outcome. She is gone.”

Camilla sniffed wetly. “I just can’t help but wonder if something bad happened to her. If in his death throes, that awful dragon used one last bit of magic to enact his revenge on us. If he dragged them down in death too.” She paused. “Or maybe he just sent them to some far-off Deeprealm whose portal we haven’t discovered yet.”

“We looked for Selena and the others for weeks,” Beruka reminded her. “Even with magic and those strange crystals of Azura’s, we could not find them.”

“I know,” Camilla sighed. “And in a way, I’m glad. The fact we didn’t find them means she might still be out there somewhere.”

Beruka said nothing.

Camilla peeked out from her arm. “You can say it.”

She debated the merits of that but ultimately decided she could not say no to Camilla under the best of times. Certainly not now.

“The fact we did not find a body makes it more likely that Selena is dead,” she couldn’t help but point out. “Or somewhere else permanently out of our reach.”

Camilla looked away. Beruka felt something that might have been akin to regret.

“I know that too,” Camilla said sadly. “I just can’t help but wish we knew for sure. Or that Anankos would return for a brief time, if only so I could beat the answers out of him myself.”

Silently, Beruka found herself inclined to agree.

There came a knock at the door. Instantly, Beruka jumped to her feet, hand axe at the ready.

With an amused huff, Camilla rolled off the bed and onto her feet. She looked very exposed in her nightgown. Camilla had grown somewhat lax about wearing her armor around the castle now that the war was over. Beruka could not allow herself to do the same.

“It’s alright,” Camilla said, hand on the door. “I’m sure it’s a notice about the celebration tomorrow.”

She opened the door.

Elise stood on the other side, bouncing on her heels. “Camilla! Camilla! Corrin is here! And they brought Azura!”

Beruka allowed herself to drop the battle pose. She did not, however, put the axe away. Camilla might have called her silly if she saw. Beruka called it prepared.

“Already?” Camilla said to Elise, sounding pleased. “They’re early. I’ll get changed and head right on down.”

“They said they had something special they wanted to talk to us about!” Elise excitedly said.

“Oh? What is it?”

“I don’t know. But it sounded interesting!”

Camilla hummed and looked over her shoulder. Beruka nodded back.

“We’ll be right down,” Camilla said.

“Okay!”

Elise left. Camilla closed the door behind her and turned around.

“Something special, hm?” she said. “Maybe this will be just the distraction we need.”

 _We._ Camilla had included Beruka in that blanket statement.

Beruka did not contradict her.

This ‘something special’ Elise had mentioned, however—already, Beruka did not like it. Then again, she did not tend to like any surprises.

But perhaps whatever news Corrin had brought would be easier to focus on than other facts. Beruka was not a person to dwell on anything. Whatever happened, happened, no matter how regrettable.

Although she did not lounge in despair like Camilla, she could not help but feel a bit… bereft, when she saw the purple ring on Camilla’s finger and thought of its sibling sitting in a lockbox in her own bedroom. 

Beruka closed her eyes. She saw a flash of red in her vision.

“Yes,” she said, opening them again. “Let us go.”

“A strange new portal?” Leo repeated. “And it appeared with no warning?”

“As far as I can tell,” Corrin said, brows furrowed curiously. “My scouts say they never saw it on their patrols before yesterday. And when they checked inside, they saw some sort of large tree.”

Leo frowned. “A forest?”

“No,” Corrin said, shaking their head. “ _A_ tree. Singular. Except, as far as I’m aware, it’s larger than any tree that’s ever grown in Nohr, Hoshido, _or_ Valla. Large enough to host a village on its branches, easily, I’m told. My scouts did not go much farther than that before returning to me, though.”

“What a strange Deeprealm,” Leo mused. He considered this new information. It sounded worth a cursory investigation, at the very least. “Are you going to send in an expedition then? Or were you looking for some advice?”

It was here that Corrin began to look sheepish, and Leo’s sneaking suspicion that Corrin had an ulterior motive for telling him about this strange, new portal on the eve of the anniversary of war grew.

“Actually,” they said, “I was hoping that you wouldn’t mind investigating it for me? Preferably with Xander and Camilla and anyone else you want to bring along. My scout team said it seemed to be a peaceful Deeprealm in their initial visit, but you can never be too careful. There isn’t anyone else I trust to investigate it more than all of you.”

Leo raised an eyebrow. “You wouldn’t go with us?”

Corrin winced.

“I would like to. But it being the one-year anniversary of our victory, the people of Valla are expecting a lot. And with grand reveal of the reconstructed parts of the castle underway and other reconstruction efforts in the nearby towns, among other things…”

That, at least, didn’t sound like an excuse. War had taken a toll on Nohr and Hoshido, particularly on villages close to each kingdom’s borders. However, no kingdom had suffered more than Valla, which had fallen to ruin under Ananko’s thumb for the better part of two decades.

“I understand,” he said. “Valla’s freedom is much newer than Nohr’s. It requires a lot of oversight.”

That said, Corrin was still asking for quite a lot. Although Nohr was having an easier time of things compared to Valla, the king could not leave his station quite so easily. Leo and Camilla, although not kings themselves, had a lot on their plate as well.

“Even so…” he began.

“Oh, please,” Corrin said, pressing their hands together in a begging motion. “It would mean a lot to me that you’d do this. I don’t have the soldiers to spare for such a mission at the moment, but it needs to be done sooner rather than later.”

“Now I know you’re trying to pull something here,” Leo said with a frown. “Why would you ask this of me on the eve of the celebrations? You must have another goal.”

Corrin deflated. “I suppose it was pointless to think I could trick you.”

“Naturally,” Leo preened.

With a sigh, Corrin looked away. “It’s just… every time I talk to you or Xander or Camilla as of late, I can tell something is weighing on your shoulders. I know it’s to do with the anniversary tomorrow. I thought you three could use something to take your mind off… you know.”

Ah.

Now Leo almost regretted asking.

A bit stiffly, he said, “So you fabricated this new portal, then?”

“Oh, no! The new portal that appeared is strange, and I don’t know where it came from. But the realm inside seems very peaceful, so I thought everyone might relax if they spent some time there.”

“Well, I appreciate your honesty,” Leo sighed. “That said, I couldn’t possibly—”

“Turn you down,” Niles finished. “He accepts.”

Corrin yelped and spun around. Leo barely kept himself from glaring.

Niles slid out from behind the pillar where he’d been lurking for gods knew how long, looking very pleased with himself.

“How long have you been standing there?” Corrin asked in surprise.

“Likely the entire time,” Leo said.

Niles’s smirk grew. “You knew me too well, my lord.”

Corrin blinked. “I always meant to ask this, but why do you still call Leo ‘my lord’ if you two are—"

“It’s about the professionalism,” Leo said quickly. “In any case—Niles. What have I said about eavesdropping on familiar conversations?”

“My sincerest apologies,” Niles said, completely insincerely. “But I really must insist you accept Corrin’s proposal.”

“On such short notice—”

“I’ll take care of this,” Niles said to Corrin. “Please, amuse yourself while I convince our dearest Leo to take time off for everyone’s sanity.”

Corrin didn’t seem to know what to make of that. “Okay?”

Niles slunk over to Leo. They both watched Corrin leave with vastly different expressions.

Once they were gone, Leo said, “Why in the world do you want us to investigate some random Deeprealm the day before Xander is due to give a speech to the masses tomorrow?”

“Because Corrin is right,” Niles said. He sounded more serious now; the teasing smirk had dropped off his face. “You have been quite melancholy as of late, and while I do revel in the despair of others, it doesn’t suit you. At least, not like this.”

Leo pinched the bridge of his nose. He forced himself to breathe in and keep his voice even. “I… appreciate your concern, Niles. But you of all people should know why I…”

His chest ached. He thought of the circlet sitting on the corner of his desk, gathering dust and fingerprints in the shape of wood bow oil.

No. No reason to think of that now.

He did what he’d done for the last many months and shoved all thoughts of Odin aside.

“I do know,” Niles said seriously. He pulled Leo’s hand from his face and tangled their fingers together. “Which is why I am heavily suggesting we skip town for a while.”

“You make it sound so sordid.” Leo huffed. “In any case, our duties—”

“Can be delegated,” Niles said. “Please. Think about it. I’m sure Corrin is going to ask the same favor of Xander and Camilla right now.”

Leo shook his head. “As though Xander would ever agree to such a request on short notice.”

“You never know.”

He shook his head again. Reluctantly and insincerely, he said, “I’ll think about it.”

Niles kissed the back of his hand.

“That’s all I ask.”

“I’ll stay here while you investigate!” Elise announced the moment Corrin was done explaining their current conundrum. Then she winked with exaggeration.

Xander looked over. Corrin was deliberately looking away and whistling. Poorly.

He frowned. “I don’t think that’s—”

“I can stay here as well,” Azura said.

That was much more reasonable. Azura tended to shy away from the spotlight when she wasn’t singing and her feelings towards the way Nohrians had treated her long ago may have been complicated, but she was a smart, capable woman. There was no doubt she could hold her own while everyone else was gone. She’d more than proved herself with assisting Corrin from the shadows of Valla for the last year.

That said, there was no way for Xander to leave on such short notice. Not now that he was king, and certainly not when he was needed as a figurehead for tomorrow’s celebrations.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Corrin said. “And you’re right. I know I’m asking a lot. But please, as a favor to me—”

“And me!” Elise chimed in. Clearly, she and Corrin had conspired about this.

“—consider going,” Corrin finished.

Xander shook his head, sighing. “I understand where you’re coming from, but the first anniversary of the war is a huge landmark for the people of Nohr.”

“It’s a big landmark for you too,” Corrin said gently.

He stiffened. Azura was pointedly attempting to fade into the background—an effort Xander appreciated—but he was still hyperaware of her and Elise’s presence.

Peri and Corrin were the only ones brave enough to bring up Laslow regularly these days, and even Peri had begun to mention him less now that a full year had gone by without him. Xander always tried to keep a straight face when the topic was broached. He’d had various degrees of success.

In contrast, his siblings tried and failed to hide their own pains. Leo pointedly never mentioned Odin and always put a quick end to the conversation if the man’s name was so much as mentioned. Meanwhile, the subject of Selena was only brought up if one wanted Camilla to burst into tears.

Corrin didn’t have to say Laslow’s name for Xander to know what they were talking about, but it hurt nonetheless. Even the implication of his absence gave Xander pause. It felt like he’d never develop an immunity to it.

“Be that as it may,” he said stiffly, “I’m afraid it can’t be done. Once the festivities are done with, perhaps then we can come to an agreement.”

“But what if I take over your duties tomorrow?” Elise suggested anxiously. “I’m great at speeches! And I love talking to townspeople!”

“Effie and Arthur would be there the whole time as well,” Corrin said. Xander frowned. “You could even leave Peri, if that makes you feel better. Besides, Azura will be there too, and I’m only a portal away in an emergency!”

“You’ll only be a quick portal away too, Xander,” Elise said, even though that wasn’t necessarily true. “And taking over your duties for a day would be such a great opportunity for me to grow as a leader!”

Framing it as learning experience definitely changed some things. But not enough for Xander to relent.

“The answer is no. And if you continue to push—"

“Leo already agreed!” Corrin blurted.

Even Elise looked surprised by that. “He did?”

“Yes, Corrin,” Xander said, looking at them intently. “He did? _Leo_?”

“Y-Yes.” Then Corrin pulled at the corner of their shirt nervously. “Well—That is to say—Niles was going to speak to him first. But he _will_ agree! And Camilla seemed to really like the idea when I brought it up to her first. So, the only one holding out is you, Xander.”

“Is that so,” he said flatly. “It seems I have been cornered by my own family then.”

Elise looked at least somewhat cowed. Corrin dipped their head.

“A king is responsible for the wellbeing of his kingdom. He is a figurehead, and he must put aside his personal feelings in deference for his kingdom. He must not bend to outside pressure.”

“Xander,” Corrin said, wincing, “I’m…”

“That said,” he continued with a sigh, “it would be foolish for a king not to consider the word of his close advisors.”

Elise caught his meaning first. She jumped on the balls of her feet in excitement. “Does that mean what I think it does?”

“It means I will confer with Leo and Camilla shortly,” he said.

Elise cheered like she’d already won. The others were significantly more subdued, but even Azura wore a little smile at his words.

“Thank you, Xander,” Corrin said sincerely. “Whatever you three decide, I’ll leave you be. But I really hope you consider my proposal and that you can take your mind off things for a while.”

“I appreciate the concern,” Xander said.

That much was true, at least.

As for what the outcome of this apparent concern would be—

Well, that remained to be seen.

“Are you sure about this?” Beruka asked as Camilla threw a hand axe into a bag in preparation of their short-notice trip. “I could investigate this portal myself.”

“Where would the fun in that be?” Camilla said. She absently kissed the back of Beruka’s hand and then dug around in her closet some more. Oh, where were her good riding clothes? It had been a while since she’d stretched her legs. “Don’t worry so much, dear. It’s just a little Deeprealm, and Corrin already assured us it would be safe. What’s the worst that could happen?”

Beruka did not point out the obvious.

“Thank you,” Niles whispered between kisses, “for agreeing.”

“Well, it’s not like I could argue with all of you ganging up on me, could I?”

“You say as though you were not the one who convinced Lord Xander to change his mind.”

“Oh, hush,” Leo said fondly. In the darkness of their shared bedroom, ran a hand down Niles’s side.

Niles pressed his nose against Leo’s neck and shivered.

The clocked ticked over into midnight.

The anniversary.

Xander closed his eyes. Instinctively, he tried to imagine what it might have felt like, had Laslow’s weight settled into his arms the year before. How warm he might have been. How soft his cheek might have felt under Xander’s calloused fingers.

He did not have much of an imagination. None of the images would stick, and Xander’s palms felt empty and cold. The mental image of Laslow illuded him. So he tried to sleep instead, as he had been trying for the last several hours, and found that illuded him too.

It would be a long night.

“So, this is it?” Camilla asked as the party slowed. “This is the new portal Corrin mentioned?”

“These are the correct coordinates,” Leo confirmed.

The others slowed behind them. Xander looked solemn without Peri there to keep up the chatter. Camilla had no idea how they had gotten him to agree to let Elise take over his role in the festivities this year, albeit with Azura’s support.

It probably didn’t hurt that Elise had endeared herself to the general public even more so in the last year, now that her visits to the slums were more of an open secret. Garon’s passing and easing tensions had granted them all more freedom, though none of the siblings particularly liked Elise putting herself in such danger and she was required to take both Effie and Arthur every time she went. That said, her visits had done wonders for the royal family’s public image throughout the capitol.

Elise’s hosting of the celebrations this year may be even more well received than Xander’s, Camilla thought to herself. She’d have to find out how it had gone when she returned. She was so proud of how her sister had grown.

“Ready to explore then?” Niles asked Leo.

Leo straightened. “It’s what we came here for, after all.”

“After you then, milord.”

With a sigh, Leo walked through the portal with Niles as his shadow.

He didn’t seem all that pleased to be here. Camilla was grateful he’d agreed to come all the same. It wasn’t that she didn’t like idea of a party and celebrating a full year of peace; it was just that such happy times made her think of what she’d lost as well. Leo was even more tight-lipped about his feelings on the matter than Xander, but she suspected he must have felt the same melancholic want that she did. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have joined them.

Xander went into the swirling blue portal next. 

Camilla tried to follow him, but a light touch on her arm gave her pause.

“Be prepared,” Beruka said. “We don’t know what might await us on the other side.”

“Corrin assured us the land appeared peaceful,” Camilla reminded her.

“Preliminary observations may not show the full story.”

“Fair enough.” Camilla smiled at her. “Stay by my side then, please?”

“Of course,” Beruka said.

It was as good as an ‘I love you’ from her. Camilla smiled wider and followed the others into the portal, Beruka close behind.

“—did say it was a big tree,” Xander heard Niles say as he came through the portal.

In the two seconds it had taken Xander to follow after them, Leo’s expression of reluctance had turned into one of shock and awe. “Well, yes, but this is enormous!”

Xander looked around their new surroundings. At first, it appeared the portal had dropped them in the midst of a great canopy made of many trees. The bushels of leaves underfoot were so thick that they were easy to step upon without fear of falling. Then he glimpsed over the edge of platform and caught a glimpse of the _monstrous_ singular tree trunk below them.

Suddenly, it became clear that they were on a singular tree after all.

“This is incredible,” he breathed. It felt like an understatement.

He’d never seen such bountiful nature in his life. The lands of Nohr were not naturally home to many lush plants, and although the plains and mountains of Hoshido were quite beautiful, he’d never imagined anything of this size ever could have existed outside fairytales.

What would Laslow have made of it, he wondered.

While he was in awe of the landscape, he heard Camilla and Beruka come through the portal behind him. Beruka did not audibly react, but Camilla let out a gasp.

“This is astounding,” she said. “What is that structure in the middle there? Some sort of shrine?”

“It appears so,” Xander said. He’d been distracted by the enormity of the tree, but it was impossible to miss the large, ancient looking stone structure in the center of the treetop. “Corrin’s scouts reported that as well, but they could not find a way inside. I doubt we’d fare much better without the proper tools.”

“It might be some sort of sacred monument to the local people,” Leo said, surveying the land. “We’d best not disturb it until we’re sure of what we’re doing.”

“Good point.”

Niles nudged Leo and whispered something into his ear. Leo nodded and said to the rest of the party, “There seems to be a way down over there. We investigate what’s below us, if we go slow.”

Xander nodded. “That sounds reasonable.”

“Just be careful not to fall,” Camilla said. “Obviously, Beruka and I didn’t bring our wyverns today, so we can’t catch you if you slip.”

It was a nauseating distance to the ground. “Duly noted.”

“You can hold my hand if that makes you feel better,” Niles slyly said to Leo.

Leo shook his head and huffed, but Xander thought he looked a bit bemused. He pretended not to notice the exchange.

Niles and Leo led the expedition to the forest floor. Xander expected the journey down to be an arduous trek through thick branches and leaves, requiring him to use Siegfried as a glorified machete, and so he was surprised to find a well-made staircase of twisted tree roots leading down.

Despite the lack of other humanoids on top of the tree, it was clear someone—or, more likely, many someones—had spent a considerable amount of effort to create an easy path to the top. It had taken either a great deal of magic, a great deal of horticultural manpower, or both.

Either way, it was not a particularly difficult journey down, although it did take easily a quarter of an hour.

“Ah,” Xander said when they reached the bottom and emerged from the tunnel.

As he’d suspected, the roots of the tree were nearly as enormous as the base. Some of the gnarled roots appeared thick as a war ship’s hull was wide, while others easily could have supported the weight of a bear or two without budging. Mossy wood made up more area than grass on this supposed forest floor.

It was obvious this tree was older than any kingdom he had ever learned about. Perhaps it was old as the planet itself.

Whether or not that was true, the sight of it took Xander’s breath away.

“Incredible,” Leo breathed. “I would love to study the soil composition of this area. Is it magic that has caused the flora here to grow so large or some other natural phenomena?”

“I would be curious to the answer to that as well,” Xander said.

Niles whistled lowly, clearly admiring the canopy above them. Xander followed his gaze upwards and saw the treetop they had previously been standing upon stretched into some low-laying clouds above their heads. Had they really come that far down?

“I wouldn’t blame you,” Niles said to Leo after a beat. “That said, as amusing as watching you drool over plants would be for the rest of us, I do feel the need to remind you that Corrin’s scouts reported a bustling town quite nearby, just to the south of here. Now would be a good opportunity to gauge the locals’ disposition before night falls.”

“I agree,” Beruka added. “We must be aware of our surroundings so we are not caught off guard later.”

“A fair point,” Leo said, though he didn’t seem pleased by it. “We should go there first then.”

“We’ll have to come back this way to return anyway,” Camilla pointed out.

Leo tilted his head in her direction. “An even better point.”

“To the south then,” Xander said.

This time, Beruka and Niles lead the way. Xander was not overly worried, given what Corrin’s scouts had reported about the area so far, but it was better safe than sorry. Beruka and Niles were skilled at sensing any sort of danger or traps they might stumble upon.

That said, although they stopped occasionally to survey an unfamiliar patch of land or animal marking, they came across no danger on their way to the town.

They stopped some distance away from the town to observe it.

“It looks fairly normal,” Camilla noted. “The people look like they’re going about their daily business, at least.”

“Or so it seems,” Beruka said darkly, just as Niles said, “At first look, it might appear that way.”

They shared a glance.

“You cannot take any civilization at face value,” Beruka said.

Niles nodded. “I agree. You never know what sort of seedy underbelly is lurking in the shadows.”

“Well said.” Leo jotted something down in a tiny notebook and then put it away. “We should hope for the best but plan for the worst.”

Xander agreed. “While we would gather the most information by splitting up, it would be wise for us to stay in pairs as well, so as to not be caught unawares.”

Camilla made a humming noise and looked towards the town. “What sort of information are we looking for?”

“The name of the area we’re in, what that big tree is, whether or not anyone is aware of the portal on top of said tree,” Leo listed promptly. “Anything that might seem pertinent, of course. We know basically nothing so far, so any information at all would be helpful. Though try not to give away that we’re from another land in the process.”

“Duly noted.”

“Niles and I can go one direction,” he continued. “Camilla, you and Beruka can go another.”

Xander raised an eyebrow. “And as for myself?”

Leo faltered. It seemed he’d forgotten to account for Xander’s lack of partner.

Xander had done much the same, in the early days of Laslow’s absence. Thank the gods for Peri.

“You can come with us,” Camilla said, coming to his rescue. “Then you can join Leo and Niles if they find something of more interest to you.”

Given that he was king, Xander could have overruled that suggestion if he really wanted, but there was no reason to do so.

“That sounds amenable.”

After some brief discussion, they solidified their plans on where to meet later and split up, Leo and Niles approaching one end of town while Xander, Camilla, and Beruka approached the other. Xander made sure to keep his guard up, although nothing about the way the people bustled about set off any mental alarms. Better safe than sorry.

“This looks rather quaint,” Camilla said warmly, after they found themselves in some sort of market. The spices and cloth stalls sold goods very much unlike those found in the markets of Windmire, but even so, the goods being sold were not unappealing.

Beruka said, “Hm.”

Camilla seemed to get much more out of her grunt than Xander did. “The people seem friendly, and oh, those fruits look _delicious_. Would you like one, Beruka?”

“We do not know what type of fruit that is, or if you will have an allergic reaction to it.”

“Oh, hush,” Camilla said. “Come on, try one. These look like the strawberries we have in Nohr, except darker. Let’s eat some. I’m sure these people take gold here.”

Camilla stopped by a fruit stall, Beruka hovering beside her.

Feeling fairly certain they were not about to be mugged anytime soon and that both women were more than capable of defending themselves if it came to it, he continued on further down the street. Something seemed to be happening several stalls down, and he was curious as to what had drawn the crowd. Pedestrians of all ages had stopped to watch; they were clapping their hands and cheering.

Xander walked over. He stood at least a head above most of the townsfolk, though he felt a little guilty at the way some of them parted a bit nervously when they saw him approach.

It was easy to see what had drawn all the attention. A street entertainer of some sort—a male dancer with pink hair, clad in a puffy, off-white performer clothes and gold bangles that both resembled and did not resemble those of Cyrkensia—had the crowd captivated.

Xander did not consider himself particularly well-versed in the technicalities of the arts, but he had attended enough performances at the Cyrkensia Opera House to know talent when he saw it.

And this dancer, the way he twisted and twirled and winked at the crowd between jumps—

Even Xander could admit it was quite enchanting.

He found himself joining the crowd in their clapping, keeping up the rhythm so the dancer had something to time his steps to. He felt his smile grow as the dancer picked up speed. The dancer’s feet were practically a blur as he moved, but the grin on the man’s face was impossible to miss. It was an infectious sort of happiness.

The dancer spun, spinning, and for a brief second, his gaze caught Xander’s—

And the dancer went tumbling out of his spin and onto his knees in the dirt, face pale.

Xander frowned and paused. The crowd broke into murmurs, but the dancer didn’t seem to hear them.

Instead, the dancer gaped at Xander of all people. “Lord Xander?”

That _voice_.

The accent was a little different from what he’d remembered, but—

Xander’s vision tunneled. Ignoring the hair, ignoring the outfit, this man’s _face_ was—

“…Laslow?” he said.

They stared at one another. Xander’s mind raced as time came to a standstill.

How—

After all this time—

In this random place—

Laslow—beautiful and pink and _alive_ —laughed and scratched his cheek nervously. The gesture was painfully familiar. “Ah! Well! That’s all, folks!”

Three minutes later, as the crowd dispersed and Laslow had successfully dragged him into a less populated side street, Xander still felt himself unable to look away.

“Now that they’re gone…” Laslow laughed, twirling his dancer’s ring in hand, and Xander felt the ground shake beneath his feet.

He’d yearned to hear that very voice for months. He didn’t quite speak with the same intonation as native Nohrians did, but Xander remembered the unplaceable accent with which Laslow had spoken in those early months too. This was the very same.

This was Laslow, alive and real and true. 

“Is it really you, milord? Not that I’m not happy to see you, but… How did you even get here?”

Xander opened his mouth to say something intelligent like _I could ask the same of you_.

Instead, what came out was, “What are you wearing?”

He immediately wanted to smack himself in the face.

Laslow looked taken aback. Rightly so, Xander thought, ashamed.

“Oh, this?” He looked down at himself as if seeing his outfit for the first time, bared shoulders and midriff practically shining in the sun. Laslow wrinkled his nose. “You don’t like it?”

“I—”

Xander coughed.

“I didn’t say that,” he corrected, all the while mentally berating himself for his ineloquence. The first time he meets a dead man in over a year, and all he can think to say was, _What are you wearing?_ Ridiculous.

Laslow didn’t comment on that, however. Instead, he beamed, expression clearing, and Xander felt a strong urge to pinch himself.

“Great!” Laslow said. “Since I didn’t plan on changing anytime soon. These were a gift from my mother right before we left again, and—” He caught himself. “No, wait! What am I saying? Lord Xander, how are you _here_?”

“In this Deeprealm?” Xander said. “Corrin reported that a new portal had suddenly appeared—"

“In this universe!” Laslow cried. Then: “Wait, did you say a portal?”

“Excuse me? This _universe_?”

Laslow put his head in his hands for brief moment. His shoulders shook, and for a brief moment, Xander was thrown by the fact Laslow was _crying._

Then he lifted his head, and Xander realized Laslow was laughing instead, his smile brighter than any sunflower.

“Excuse me,” Laslow said between laughs. “I just—”

And then, inexplicably, Xander felt the weight of arms he’d tried and fail to dream about for a year settle around his torso in the quickest, tightest hug he’d received in a long while.

The hug shocked him, and before he could even move, Laslow darted back.

“Sorry. I just had to do that. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves, aren’t we?” He chuckled. “I get the feeling this will take a while. How about we talk about everything over some tea, hm? My treat.”

“That sounds… amenable,” Xander said. He was still reeling from the feel of Laslow around him. He wished it hadn’t been over so soon.

Camilla would likely be looking for him soon, but the market wasn’t that big. Surely they would run into each other sooner rather than later. Besides, Xander had the sinking feeling that if he took his eyes off Laslow for even a moment, he would disappear again. He didn’t want to take that chance.

“Great!” Laslow said. Then he paused. “Seriously, milord. It’s… _really_ good to see you.”

Xander’s chest tightened again. “I would say the same to you, Laslow.”

Laslow took his hand without hesitation. Surprised, Xander let him.

The Laslow he’d known previously—his retainer who had been brazen in all the wrong ways and who doled out affection like candy—had never grabbed him so casually before. Physical intimacy had seemingly been the only line he and Laslow had never crossed, despite their friendship.

Then again, a full year had passed since their last meeting. Who knew how Laslow had changed in that time?

He found himself eyeing Laslow’s dancer outfit as they walked. He focused in on all the little details—the intricacy of the stitching, the soundlessness of his footsteps, the soft rustle of fabric as he moved—

Yes, it seemed much had changed after all.

“Here we are,” Laslow said, coming to stop in front of a small but homely looking little shop. He dropped Xander’s hand, and Xander pretended not to feel the way his fingers burned. “I hope you don’t mind. I know it doesn’t look like much, but I’ve been here a few times before and the brew is quite nice for this side of Valm.”

“I’m sure it will be fine,” Xander said, curious about what this Valm place was. Was it Laslow’s home? Had he somehow stumbled upon Laslow’s origins without realizing?

Instead of blurting the dozen questions that sat on the tip of his tongue, he dutifully found a table as Laslow directed. He found himself watching the ease with which Laslow navigated the shop.

Laslow had always looked at home among others, but there was something peaceful about him now, Xander thought. A pinch in the corner of his eyes that had always been present in Nohr had now smoothed itself out.

With so much of Laslow’s time in Xander’s employ spent either preparing for or participating in war, that wasn’t very surprising. However, it struck him just how much peace _suited_ Laslow.

“I’m back!” Laslow announced, carrying two cups of steaming tea. “I bought their specialty. I hope you haven’t changed your order in the last year. No sugar or milk, right?”

“And one pour of milk with two sugar cubes for you,” Xander replied. He took his cup.

Laslow looked startled but pleased. He sat down across from Xander. The table felt ridiculously small between them.

“You remembered?” he said.

Xander smiled. “How could I forget? You always snuck a cup when you made me a pot.”

“What! You knew?”

“You thought you were being quite sneaky.” Xander smirked into his cup of tea. Ah, still too hot. “Besides, I’m not so selfish as to begrudge you a drink. It’s not like a could finish the whole pot by myself.”

“Yes, well…” Laslow shook his head, but he looked happy. “Anyway, we haven’t cleared up the matter of how you got here in the first place.”

Right.

Xander felt his smile drop. He set his tea onto the table.

“I came here through a portal, at Corrin’s behest,” he said. “They asked us to investigate a new Deeprealm that appeared on the outskirts of their northern border. How did _you_ get here?” Sternness crept into his voice as he recalled the memory from one year before. “Laslow, the last time I saw you, you—”

_—were going to touch me, were going to hug me, were going to kiss me, maybe—_

“—vanished into thin air,” he finished.

“I know.” Laslow grimaced. “I’m sorry about that, really. I never expected…” With a huff, he shook his head. “Long story short, the magic that brought me to Nohr in the first place—we didn’t realize it at the time, but it was tied to Anankos’s presence. When Corrin vanquished him, the magic that sent us to Nohr vanished too, and we suddenly found ourselves here, back where our journey had started.”

There was a lot to unpack there. Xander digested this new information.

“So you came back to this Deeprealm?”

“Back to this _universe_ ,” Laslow emphasized. “Milord, do you really not—Wait.”

Laslow was staring at him. Hard.

“Yes?” Xander said, a bit annoyed at the sudden pause.

“Did you say Corrin tasked ‘us’ to explore the portal?” Laslow asked quickly. “You brought others with you?”

“Yes, Camilla and Leo and the like.” Ah. Now Xander was beginning to catch on. “Did you say you came here with anyone else?”

“Oh dear,” Laslow said.

Xander quite agreed.

As it turned out, the vendors took gold after all.

“Here, try this,” Camilla said, holding the strawberry to Beruka’s lips. “It looks delicious.”

Beruka did not take a bite. “Why do you not eat it then?”

“Because I want you to try it,” she said. “You enjoy strawberries, don’t you?”

Beruka said, “I hold no feelings towards strawberries one way or another.”

Despite the flat words, she took a bite of the strawberry Camilla was holding. She chewed and swallowed without comment.

“Well?” Camilla prompted.

“It’s… sweet.”

She read the hitch in Beruka’s voice well enough. Camilla beamed. “So you like it then? Here, have half.”

“…Thank you,” Beruka said. Camilla giggled and fed her another berry.

The Beruka of some years ago might have protested more. As much as Beruka ever protested, that was. In any case, she might have denied herself the strawberries or Camilla’s doting simply because she didn’t understand or didn’t think it necessary. Camilla was very pleased at the way Beruka let her dote on her now.

Selena had never had that problem. She’d happily let Camilla dote on her at any time of day, no matter the short notice, and Camilla had been more than happy to fill in that chip on her shoulder however she could.

Not that there had been much time for pampering during the war. Camilla still snuck off for a facial or massage every now and then, but Corrin hadn’t been pleased with her for that and by that time, Selena, sadly, always had too much work on her plate to push some of her smaller tasks aside like she used to. So the pampering sessions had died off, in those last few months together.

Should she have pushed more, she wondered?

She had planned a big spa day for her and her girls after the final battle, but…

“…Is that strawberry sour?” Beruka asked.

Right. Focus on the here and now.

“No, no, they’re delicious,” Camilla said. She ate a strawberry, humming dramatically as the flavor burst over her tongue. “I just had something else on my mind.”

“Hm.”

Selena would have pressed or reminded Camilla that she was willing to lend an ear whenever. Camilla was a little grateful Beruka didn’t. 

“I love you,” she said. She bent down to kiss Beruka on the forehead and felt pride at the fact she was almost the only person allowed to do that.

“…I love you as well,” Beruka said, almost shyly. Camilla felt her heart stir. “But what brought this on?”

“Just wanted to remind you.”

“Thank you.”

Camilla looked around for another stall or perhaps to check on where Xander hand wandered off to when she felt fingers slip into her own. She looked down to find Beruka holding her hand.

“I don’t mind, but this does mean you’ll have to hold the bags when we purchase something from the next vendor,” Camilla teased, nodding towards the box of strawberries she was holding and their now intertwined fingers.

“So be it,” Beruka said.

Camilla laughed. Oh, how sweet love did soothe the old aches of the heart.

“Here, we should—”

She’d hardly taken a step forward when someone carrying a lot of bags ran into her side. Stumbling, Camilla dropped the box of strawberries into the dirt.

“Oh, darn,” she swore.

“Hey, watch it!” said a sour voice. “Can’t you see I’m carrying all this stuff?”

“ _Excuse_ me?” Camilla said instinctively, eyebrows shooting up in surprise. It had been a long time since anyone had spoken to her like that. She immediately turned to give the woman she’d bumped into a hard look. “I think you’re the one who needs to…”

The scolding she’d been about to give the stranger died in her throat. Every word left her head as the breath left her lungs.

It wasn’t Selena. Camilla knew there was no chance of this woman being Selena. The hair was all wrong—a muddy brown rather than red, and definitely not dyed. The ribbons looked familiar though. Not to mention the clothes and the accent. This woman wasn’t Selena, no matter how familiar her body language or face.

But for a split second, Camilla had thought…

The many bags the women had been holding fell to the ground with a crash as her arms fell to her sides like dead weights. 

“…Lady Camilla?” said the woman, this time much more weakly. “Beruka?”

Suddenly, Camilla found herself being pushed aside yet again—this time by Beruka, of all people.

“Stay back, my lady,” Beruka said sharply, drawing her axe. Some of the other people in the market gasped and stared, but Camilla barely registered the commotion. “You’re an imposter assassin, aren’t you? Who sent you?”

“What?” the woman— _Selena_ —said. “No, I’m… Beruka, it’s really me. Look.”

Beruka raised her axe to strike as the woman raised her hands, both of them ignoring Camilla’s cry of “ _Wait!_ ”

But then she froze—something Beruka never did—when the woman pointed to the small purple gem she was wearing on her left hand.

“See?”

“Oh,” Camilla gasped. There was no doubting it now. She didn’t know why or how but this was— “ _Selena_! Is it really you?”

She jumped passed Beruka and threw her arms around Selena, not waiting for an answer. She buried her nose into Selena’s now brown hair. She’d never suddenly loved a color so much.

“Oh, Selena! I’ve missed you! Where have you been? _How_ have you been? Why did you ever leave?”

Selena made a pained sound and patted Camilla on the back. Camilla’s heart threatened to burst out of her chest with joy.

“Lady Camilla… you’ re kind of crushing me here. I can’t…” She coughed. “Breathe.”

Camilla squeezed her tighter. “Good. Didn’t I say you’d never be allowed to leave me under penalty of death?”

“That—ouch! That wasn’t my fault!”

Well, then.

Camilla reluctantly let go. Selena made a big show of sucking in a deep breath and wincing when she moved, all of which Camilla ignored. She hadn’t really _hurt_ Selena, she knew. She’d just reminded her of how long she’d been gone. A deserving punishment.

“Come, come,” she said quickly, before anyone else could comment, and picked up Selena’s bags. “Let’s get out of the street, and then you’re going to tell me _everything_. Got it?”

“Of course!” Selena said quickly. She bent down and grabbed a few of the bags herself. Beruka even grabbed one, although she looked wary about it.

Camilla shepherded them around the corner and into a less populated side-street. Here, at least they weren’t going to be stared at by strangers. She dropped the bags against the side of a random building.

“Now,” she said, “where have you _been_?”

Her voice cracked. She couldn’t help it. Selena at least had the decency to look ashamed.

“It’s not like I meant to disappear like that!” she quickly defended. “Listen. Long story short, I got to Nohr using magic, and when Anankos was killed, that magic disappeared along with him… or so Odin said. But anyway, I ended up here and I couldn’t go back. But I would have, if I’d gotten the opportunity! I promise!”

Camilla sniffed wetly. “And what happened to your hair?”

“Huh? Oh, right.” Selena looked a bit sheepish at that. “That, uh, happened with the magic too. It won’t go back. But never mind that!”

Words steadfast and expression serious, she said, “What I’m trying to say is, I would have come back to both of you if I’d had the chance. You have to believe that.”

“I do,” Camilla said, wiping her wet eyes, because if she’d held any doubt in her heart that Selena would have heartlessly abandoned her like that, they wouldn’t be having this conversation right now. Besides, Selena seemed just as shocked as they were to have run into each other. “Beruka? You believe her, don’t you?”

Beruka said nothing. She stood next to Camilla and stared at Selena, gaze hard and unwavering

“Beruka?” Selena said. She sounded nervous.

“You claim to be the real Selena?” Beruka said evenly.

Selena looked taken aback. Camilla was too caught up in the shock and euphoria of the moment to comment. Thankfully, Selena recovered first.

“Did anything about what I just said sound fake to you?” She held up her hand with a frown. “What about our matching rings, huh? Would an imposter have _that_? …Huh? Wait.”

Selena squinted. Then she scowled, prodding Beruka in the ribs with her finger.

Beruka’s expression did not change, though she took a step back. She was giving Selena a hard time, but Camilla thought that she must have trusted that this was the real Selena after all, since she never would have stood for a real rival assassin getting so close.

“Hey, hey!” Selena prodded with her finger. “Where’s that ring we got together? I thought we were supposed to wear our matching accessories forever!”

Beruka caught her wrist, bringing Selena’s poking to a halt.

“Did you forget my words so easily?” Beruka said. She did not drop Selena’s wrist, nor did Selena wrench herself away. “I told you that if you were to ever leave, I would put the ring away. A matching set is pointless with a missing piece.”

Selena’s fire went out in an instant. Her shoulders dropped.

“And you really…”

Camilla laid a hand on Selena’s arm. Her own purple ring glinted on her finger, and somehow, she found her voice. “The day after you disappeared, Beruka put her ring away and never took it out again, no matter how often I bothered her about it.”

“I would have worn it if you had made it an order,” Beruka reminded her. She let Selena’s arm drop.

“It broke my heart to see it gone,” Camilla admitted, “but I wouldn’t force you to do something that caused you pain.”

Selena surreptitiously rubbed at her eyes.

Camilla rubbed her arm soothingly. “Oh, dear. Did we make you cry?” 

“N-No!” Selena said, but that was obviously a lie. “I’ve just got something in my eye!”

“There, there.”

Camilla drew her close. Oh, how she’d missed her. She secretly pinched herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming as well, but no. Selena was shocking and sudden and miraculously real.

After a long moment and with some obvious hesitancy, Beruka laid a hand on Selena’s arm as well.

“It’s alright,” she said haltingly. “I think… I’ve been feeling sad as well.”

That broke the dam. Camilla lurched forward at Beruka’s admission, pulling both her girls close as a fresh wave of tears washed over her. It had been so long since she’d been able to hold them close at once. The simultaneous weight of them was as relieving as it was painful.

Selena had given up hiding her tears as well. She wetly ordered them both not to look at her too closely for the moment—an order which Camilla gladly ignored.

Even Beruka, though not outwardly crying, fisted part of Camilla’s shirt while burying her face in Selena’s chest. There was no easy way to detangle from each other, and none of them made the attempt.

What might have happened if Camilla hadn’t listened to Corrin and gone through the portal today? She couldn’t bear to imagine it.

“Oh, shoot,” Selena croaked after a while, “I can’t go back looking like this. The guys will never let me forget it.”

“The guys?” Camilla said.

“…Oh, darn it.”

Selena pulled away, and Camilla let her go, albeit very reluctantly. Beruka stayed practically attached to her hip, however. Selena didn’t seem to mind; she was holding Beruka’s hand.

“You two didn’t come here alone, did you?” Selena wiped her eyes, her cheeks very flushed. “Because neither did I.”

“Milord, does that man look familiar to you?” Niles said, proud of the way he bit down on the hysteria building in his throat.

He had never doubted his own instincts before, and he wasn’t going to start now. But the impossibility of what he was seeing right now was not lost on him.

“Hm? What was that?”

Leo looked up from the assortment of books splayed out before him. The moment he realized there were texts containing histories and stories of this Deeprealm that he’d never heard of before, he’d begun scanning their titles for something that might prove useful.

“I said,” Niles repeated, unable to take his eye off the man making a spectacle of himself in the street, “does that man look familiar to you?”

Leo hummed and glanced out the window. He did not give the man a very long look.

“Not particularly.” He looked down, then back up. “What is all that commotion?”

Niles found himself walking out of the store before he realized what he was doing.

“One moment, please,” he said absently.

“Niles?”

Niles walked into the street. Here, he could clearly make out the long-winded speech of the dark-haired man currently waving his arms in the road.

“—exquisite! This craftsmanship! Why, this sword must be the work of a legendary blacksmith, world-renowned for the skills they have honed for decades!”

“It’s just like all the other swords I sell,” said the vendor warily, giving the man an uncertain look. “Eh, you gonna buy it or not, pal?”

Loud enough to interrupt the wild ramblings of the increasingly familiar man, Niles said, “Excuse me! What’s your name?”

The man made an offended noise and whirled. “Who is so bold as to claim they do not know of the infamous Odin D—”

He made an abrupt, strangled sound.

“ _Niles_?”

“Ah,” Niles said, much more calmly than he felt. “So, I was right after all.”

“Niles!” Odin blurted. His hair was dark and mused, and there were other differences about him too. A slightly flatter nose than Niles remembered. A skin tone that made it clear he’d spent more time in the sun than Nohr had ever allowed. But he was still, after all this time, clearly Odin. “What are you doing here?”

“I should ask the same of you,” Niles said.

And then, because the vendor was still looking at them expectantly, he grabbed Odin by the ear and yanked him into the alley beside the bookshop.

“Ouch! Ow, ow, ow! Why the sudden villainy? Niles!”

“Not a chance,” Niles said blithely. Adrenaline surged through his veins; he could feel his hands shaking, but he barely reacted otherwise. He felt strange.

Leo, who had been curiously lurking in the doorway to the bookshop, looked taken aback when Niles breezed past him. “Niles? Where are you going? Release that man!”

“Yes! Please release me!” Odin cried.

They were in the alley now, so Niles did release him, making sure to block the entrance with his body. Odin rubbed at his sore ear, looking betrayed.

“I have not known the pains of nearly being torn limb from limb like that since the icy grip of my own mother,” he bemoaned. “It’s been many a long year since then, however…”

“Yes, yes, your mother used to pinch your ear when you were a naughty boy,” Niles said. There was low-hanging fruit there. He didn’t take it. “Odin—"

Leo ran up behind them, clearly confused. “Niles, please tell me you have a good reason for accosting a stranger in the streets.”

“I do. Because this isn’t a stranger. This is Odin.”

Leo wrinkled his nose. “Odin?”

“Lord Leo!” Odin laughed nervously. “Funny seeing you here! Ha… ha…”

“What?”

And then the situation finally seemed to sink in for Leo, as he blanched and stared at Odin, clearly taken aback. “ _Odin?_ Is that you? Really?”

“Yes!” Odin puffed out his chest and struck one his weird poses. “Don’t you recognize my dark aura? Or has my transformation fooled even a prince’s cunning eyes?”

“Get your hand out of your face,” Niles said, swatting the hand down so he could see Odin properly. Odin pouted but did as he was told. “How are you _here_?”

“Is it not obvious? Fates’ design has deigned us return to one another! I am already well aware of my own exploits, but please, enlighten me as to what machinations lead to your arrival here?”

A beat passed.

Odin’s enthusiasm faltered. “You… do not seem very pleased to see me.”

Niles felt many things. Pleasure was certainly one of them. But there was confusion, abandonment, exasperation, irritation—not all directed at Odin, exactly, but uncertain of where else to direct itself. His feet were rooted to the dusty ground by an invisible force.

“Well,” he eventually groused, when it seemed clear Leo was not going to speak up, “you’re not exactly jumping at us either.”

“Yes, well…”

Odin looked cowed. He looked at the ground, then at Niles’s face, and Niles knew what he wanted.

They both looked to Leo for their cue.

Part of Niles had expected what he’d find there, but part of him was still taken aback by the sight of Leo, the youngest prince of Nohr, a grown man, with tears welled up in his eyes.

“Tell me, Odin,” Leo said, voice tight, composure somehow mostly maintained, “do you still call yourself my retainer?”

Odin looked startled as well. He hesitated. “Milord?”

Leo did not answer him, and Niles offered no sort of clue when Odin looked his way either.

After a moment, Odin straightened and said, “I do, milord. I am Odin Dark, seeker of darkness, hero of vengeance, and retainer to Leo, Sorcerous Prince of Nohr. No amount of distance has erased that from my title.”

“Good,” Leo said. “It would not be fit for a prince’s retainer to forget his orders.”

The tension in Odin’s shoulders visibly eased, and Niles felt something soften within himself as well.

“Milord,” Odin said gently. His fingers twitched like he’d thought about reaching out.

Niles nearly snatched them up but somehow retrained himself. This was important.

“I told you I…” Leo blinked hard. “I said I needed you and Niles by my side after we restored peace. _Both_ of you. I…”

“I’m sorry,” Odin said. He’d dropped the façade. “If I had known how much my absence pained you, I would have…”

Niles raised an eyebrow. Odin saw the movement and trailed off.

Realistically, Niles thought there was not much Odin could have done differently. Not unless he’d had another trick up his sleeve the whole time, some untapped ability to return to Nohr after an abrupt and clearly magical departure.

Which was not entirely out of the question, for all that Niles knew of this man’s secrets. But he did not think Odin would be quite so cruel to them or masochistic to himself either. If he’d had the capability to return, he would have used it.

Niles sighed heavily and opened his arms.

“Will you stop torturing yourself and come here already?” he said. For a split second, he tried to maintain his distant expression, but the affection in his voice betrayed him.

There was no warning for what happened next, and Niles expected none. Like a spring-loaded trap, Odin leapt for him. Leo squawked, tears forgotten, as Odin’s arm elbow around his neck and yanked him towards Niles as well.

Niles held them both tightly.

“I missed you!” Odin _finally_ admitted the words Niles had been waiting to hear all along. “I really, really, _really_ missed you!”

“Then just kiss us already,” Niles sighed, five years’ worth of memories slamming one year of absence out of the way all at once.

As always, there was no need to tell Odin twice. Overly enthusiastic as he’d forever been, he kissed Niles on the mouth, hard. It was more of a smashing of skulls a kiss. Niles barely minded; he would have liked the kiss to last forever, however sloppy and untrained. But when Odin pulled away to kiss Leo, he found he didn’t mind that so much either.

“So,” Niles said next to Odin’s ear, extremely pleased, “does being in your homeland mean we get to know your real name now?”

Leo and Odin pulled apart with equal looks of surprise. Niles nearly regretted speaking up when they both detangled themselves from him.

“You mean Odin was born in this Deeprealm?” Leo asked, his voice overlapping Odin’s shocked, “How did you know?”

Niles smirked. “You just confirmed it for me.”

Odin glowered. It felt akin to being glared at by a small, scrappy dog.

Niles’s smirk grew. Odin averted his eyes.

“This isn’t a Deeprealm,” he said.

Leo wrinkled his nose. “It’s not?”

“Don’t change the subject,” Niles said, because it would be too easy to be lost in the maze of magic and other revelations before they got to the heart of the matter. “Your real name?”

If Odin turned him down again—well, he supposed he’d just have to accept that. Leo had never cared for Odin’s history at all, so he wouldn’t find an ally there. The curiosity used to eat at Niles’s insides near constantly, before. But he’d forced himself to accept it long ago.

Now, in Odin’s homeland, that curiosity returned double fold. But he’d accept it again, if he must.

He really wanted to know, however.

Odin shifted uncomfortably. “You may have my true name, if you must. But I exclusively go by Odin Dark now, even among my relatives. It’s… easier that way.”

To Niles’s surprise, it was Leo who cocked his head and asked, “Easier for who?”

Odin pressed his lips together in a familiar, unhappy curl, and Niles fully expected Odin to avert the subject. He nearly opened his mouth to do the same.

“…It’s Owain,” Odin said, looking at the wall. “My birthname.”

There was a moment of silence as the three of them digested that.

“Hm.” Niles tapped the inside of his elbow, bringing the blond’s attention back to himself. “Not bad… Odin.”

Odin instantly brightened at the use of his moniker, and Niles instantly knew he’d made the right choice. “Isn’t it? I take great pride in the title my forebearers granted me! Though I have grown quite attached to my alias as well. That said, please refer to me exclusively as Odin while in the presence of my bloodline. To do otherwise would disrupt the timeline as we know it.”

It took Niles a moment to decipher what that meant. “Your family lives nearby?”

He could hardly imagine what sort of parents had raised a man like Odin. He was both eager and apprehensive to meet them.

“In a sense,” Odin said, sounding smug. “Feast your eyes on the mystic of _this!_ ”

He held up an amulet that meant absolutely nothing to Niles.

Judging by the sly look Leo sent him, it did not mean much to the prince either.

“Behold! The Amulet of Transmittance and Receivance! When used in tandem with the Circle of Shadows and Mystique, it unleashes incredible power!”

“’Receiveance’ is definitely not a word,” Leo said.

“It is when I say it is!”

“What does it actually do?” Niles asked.

Odin opened his mouth to explain.

“Speak plainly and quickly,” Leo commanded.

Odin deflated. “Uh, I worked with Laslow’s dad, and we made a teleportation circle to travel between continents. It’s really cool.”

“Laslow’s father is also a sorcerer?” Niles asked. Odin nodded.

“Are you serious? You made a teleportation system that works at such long range?” Leo asked incredulously. “How long did that take you?”

Odin shrugged. “Six months?”

“Six _months?”_ Leo’s jaw could have hit the floor. “What basis were you using for your equations? How well-developed are the teleportation capabilities of your homeland?”

“Oh, not very,” Odin said. “Henry and I came up with most of the equations ourselves after the three of us made it back to Ylisse. Our travels to Nohr were quite abrupt, and I think some of our parents developed a bit of a… complex, let’s say, about the distance between us and them.”

“You managed to create a system of teleportation that spans whole _continents_ … within months. Based on no precedence whatsoever.”

Rather than reply, Odin struck another one of his ridiculous poses, letting the self-satisfied look on his face speak for itself.

Part of Niles wanted to rib him, but he could tell Leo was genuinely impressed. He couldn’t blame the prince. Niles was not well-versed in the ways of magic, but even he could tell the magic Odin was describing was something impressive indeed.

“By gods, Odin,” Leo said. “I have missed you.”

He grabbed Odin by the lapels and kissed him again. Niles whistled lowly.

“I need to see this teleportation system immediately,” Leo announced when he pulled away, his and Odin’s lips glistening pink.

Looking happily dazed in Leo’s grasp, Odin said, “Uh, yes! Absolutely! We just need to grab—”

Leo kissed him again. Apparently, extreme feats of intelligence riled him up. Watching him, Niles felt much the same.

“Now, now,” Niles said, sauntering closer, “you two don’t get to have all the fun.”

“Oh, look,” Laslow said, pointing. “Is that Camilla over there?”

After their mutual realization that there were others who needed to be accounted for, they had abandoned the tea shop with haste. In hindsight, Xander wasn’t sure why they’d felt such a rush to bring their groups together again.

Although, perhaps he did know.

He couldn’t speak for Laslow or his friends, but part of Xander thought his own sense of urgency might have been spurned on by the relief that had washed over him at seeing Laslow again. If his siblings felt even a fraction of the same pain he had, then Xander thought it his duty to reunite the others as soon as possible.

It seemed they had done that on their own, however.

He followed Laslow’s line of sight and mentally thanked Camilla’s genetics for making her stand out so much in a crowd. Not that she was standing in a crowd at the moment. She, Beruka, and Selena had found quite the quiet spot for themselves.

“Yes,” he confirmed. “It looks like she and Beruka found Selena on their own.”

“Great! Oh, but…” Laslow giggled nervously when Camilla kissed Selena; Xander politely averted his eyes. “They look busy. We should give them a moment.”

“Quite.”

They slyly stepped away to another side street. Xander felt confident that their momentary appearance had gone unnoticed.

“What do you suppose the odds are that Niles and Lord Leo have already found Odin?” Laslow said.

Xander considered it. “Somehow, I feel they’re quite good.”

“I’m thinking the same thing.”

They were both quiet for a moment, just observing one another.

Xander said, “Do you—”

Laslow said, “I was—"

They both went quiet at the same time. Xander waited for Laslow to speak first. Laslow, apparently waiting for the same thing, said nothing.

Then, voices overlapping once more:

“Laslow—”

“Milord—Ah, sorry—”

“No—”

“Sorry, sorry—”

“Say what’s on your mind.”

“—you go first.”

They both stopped talking at the same time. Xander felt very stupid and young again.

Laslow’s sheepish expression cracked, and he laughed. “Ha! We sound like school children, don’t we?”

Like school children with a crush they didn’t know how to handle. That comparison felt too apt for Xander’s liking.

“I suppose.”

“What I’m trying to say is—” Laslow smiled, and if Xander woke up at that very moment, it would break his heart all over again, he knew. “—should we go back to the tea shop? If Camilla and Selena have found each other, Odin and Leo likely have as well. Which gives us more time for us to catch up alone.”

Xander suspected his version of ‘catching up’ with his Laslow and his siblings’ versions of ‘catching up’ with their own partners were quite different. He wished they weren’t.

“That makes sense,” he said neutrally. The image of Camilla kissing Selena so openly flashed across his eyelids. Something stirred in his chest.

“Let’s go back this way then,” Laslow said, turning around.

On childish instinct, Xander grabbed Laslow’s wrist. Laslow looked at him curiously.

“Milord?”

“Laslow, would you come back to Nohr with me?” he blurted.

That clearly caught Laslow off guard, almost as much as it did Xander. He almost hadn’t known what he was going to ask until the words were already tumbling out of his mouth. It was, he could admit, very out of character for himself.

Laslow inspired that in him, he supposed.

“On a visit?” Laslow asked carefully, turning back. “Or as your retainer?”

 _On a visit_ , he almost said, except visits came to an end, which meant Laslow would have to leave again.

 _As my retainer_ , he might have said, except that felt unfair. Laslow looked happy and healthy in this unfamiliar land, and though he’d never gotten Laslow to speak about it much, Xander knew the man had missed his homeland something awful while in Nohr. It wasn’t what Xander really wanted anyway.

Revealing what he really wanted felt just as unfair, if not more so. But Xander had felt the plea building up inside him since he’d found Laslow, and although he was many things, he’d trained himself cowardice long ago.

He had to say it.

“As my spouse,” Xander said.

“As your—”

Laslow gaped.

Xander released his arm. “I understand that this is sudden, and for that I apologize. But I can’t risk you vanishing into thin air again. Not without knowing your answer.” He drew in a breath. “I have loved you, Laslow, for a very long time, and I have missed you these past twelve months more than I can begin to articulate.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a familiar blond with a suspiciously ruffled collar round the corner, and he cursed his luck. Laslow did not do well in front of an audience.

Urgently, Xander said, “If you do not feel the same way, please, tell me, and we shall never speak of this again. But I would love you for all my days, if you would return to Nohr with me.”

Mouth agape, Laslow did not say anything for several excruciating moments.

Then, silently, he reached for Xander’s hand

“Did you know,” Laslow said bashfully, “when I first returned home, all my friends and family teased me for months because I missed you so much?”

Hope bloomed in his chest.

“So, your answer is—”

“Yes, obviously!” Laslow cried, and then, obviously feeling brave, he reached up to grab at Xander’s shoulders and stood on his toes to kiss him on the mouth. Xander’s heart soared.

Before things could get away from them—thankfully—Leo noticed their presence and made a strangled sound. “Xander!”

Reluctantly, Xander cut the kiss short. He cleared his throat, face feeling warm. Laslow’s hand on his arm felt better than any amount of dreams and missed chances.

“Leo,” he said, nodding to his brother. “Niles. I see you found Odin.”

“…Yes,” Leo said, looking between them, Niles and Odin trailing him on either side. “Are you–”

“Laslow of the indigo skies,” Odin cut in with a tone that made Laslow pull a face. “Kissing men in the streets? What would your mother think?”

“I could say the same to you,” Laslow shot back. It did not miss Xander’s attention that Leo, pointedly, averted his eyes at that, just as Niles, equally pointedly, did not.

“Speaking of which,” Xander said before anyone else could embarrass themselves, “Laslow. Your family. How far do they live from here? Should we be informing them of the news?”

“So congratulations _are_ in order then,” Leo said, raising a brow.

Niles and Odin shushed him, probably to watch the various shades of pink that Laslow turned. His cheeks matched his hair.

Pink as he was, however, Laslow also looked as delighted as Xander felt. “Oh! Right! Actually, we would probably get there rather immediately. Odin?”

“Just say the word, and I will distort time and space for your benefit,” Odin boasted. “…After we find Selena, of course.”

Niles said something likely salacious under his breath. Xander might have said something, but the look Odin and Leo shared indicated it wasn’t about him or Laslow, so he saved them all the humiliation by pretending not to notice.

“My parents will love you,” Laslow assured him.

Solemn, Xander said, “I hope to make a good impression on them.”

“My lord, with Laslow’s character, I’m sure you’ll blow their expectations for his spouse out of the water!” Odin said.

Laslow squawked, “Oh, we’re talking of _characters_ now? Come here, you—"

He chased Odin down the street, both of them yelling over each other.

If Xander hadn’t known better, he might have suspected them brothers. Their bickering was familiar. Until that moment, he had forgotten what it was like to walk down the castle hall and catch them snarking at one another when they thought their bosses weren’t around to notice.

He supposed it was nice to know he had part of Laslow’s family’s blessing already.

" _That’s_ the man you want to marry,” Leo said flatly.

Xander did not verbally retort. He simply _looked_ at Leo, and Leo, grimacing, got the message.

“He’s got us there,” Niles said, making an amused expression as Laslow tackled Odin into the dirt.

Leo sighed. “Where’s Camilla and Beruka? Xander should tell them the good news.”

“Give them a minute,” Xander said, unable to keep himself from smiling. “I’m sure they’re doing some celebrating already.”

After leaving his kingdom to avoid such things, it seemed he was much in the mood for celebration after all.

**Author's Note:**

> —“Like a bolt from the blue” is a Camilla/Selena Support reference
> 
> —Corrin to Niles: “…why do you still call Leo ‘my lord’ if you two are—"  
> —Answer: 👀 👀 👀 
> 
> —Laslow’s outfit is his FE Heroes dancer outfit
> 
> —I’m using Frederick!Severa and Lon’qu!Owain’s designs here. Also Henry!Inigo, but I believe in Strawberry Inigo rights, so his hair is pink.
> 
> —The matching rings is a reference to Beruka and Selena A-Support. They canonically get matching jewelry with Camilla and Beruka does say she’d never wear hers if Selena left.
> 
> —In their A-Support, Leo told Odin that he wanted Niles and Odin by his side forever, but if he must leave, to please continue using his title so they could remain connected between time and space.
> 
> —Yes, Leo does have a competency kink. #Confirmed
> 
> —The Trio go by their Fates names now because they were those identities for a long time and now that their Awakening counterparts are being born, it’s easier to stay separate from their baby selves by using their Fates names when they visit their parents. (Laslow still gets called Inigo by his mother sometimes, though, and he has identity issues so he likes it just as much as it causes his brain to boggle.)
> 
> —The Trio were also in Valm to visit the Mila Tree on the one-year anniversary of their return to their world. They don’t live in Valm year-round. They just came back for the anniversary. 
> 
> —Why did a portal to Valm appear in the first place? 1. DLC has proven that there are Deeprealm portals that lead to Ylisse, so it can happen naturally. 2. Did Anankos’s ghost or Naga have anything to do with such a portal appearing exactly one year after the Trio’s separation from their romance partners? 👀 You decide! I was going to hint about this a little more, but alas, time limits.
> 
> There was a version of this fic where everyone meets up again and Odin teleports them all to Ylisse so the royals + Beruka/Niles can meet their parents and get to see Ylisse culture, but I realized about halfway through that those events would add easily 15K onto this fic, if not more, and sadly I knew I could not do those meetings justice in the timeframe I had. So I cut it short rather than start digging into events I couldn’t fulfill. I do regret that, though. Xander and Olivia’s conversations in Warriors are so cute… I want Camilla and Beruka to meet Cordelia so bad… Odin explaining that yes, that baby his mom is holding is him from another timeline while Leo and Niles’s brains explode… RIP.


End file.
